Developmental toxicity, reproductive toxicity, and neurotoxicity as regulatory endpoints.

For decades, cancer has been the primary toxicological endpoint used in the assessment of hazard and risk. Regulatory decisions related to the manufacture, transport, and use of a chemical are often based solely on cancer data. Federal policy is now shifting toward more frequent evaluation and application of alternative endpoints of toxicity. Among the endpoints of particular current interest are developmental toxicity, reproductive toxicity, and neurotoxicity. Significant progress has been made in the development of standardized guidelines for testing chemicals for their potential effects on these endpoints. Corresponding guidelines for the assessment of risk on the basis of data on these endpoints are in various stages of development.